Alternatives to Sexual Assault Program –
Person’s with Limited Understanding or Skills

The Alternatives to Sexual Assault Program – for Persons with Limited or Underdeveloped Skills (ASAP-PLUS) was adapted from our ASAP group treatment as an alternative for youth who are unable to adequately obtain skills and understanding from a more cognitive approach to treatment. This program approaches treatment from a more concrete and experiential basis.

The nature of treating youth with developmental delays who display sexually inappropriate behavior may include problems not typically seen in the population without disability. This treatment program attends to issues such as shortened attention spans, more experiential styles of learning, and the need for careful use of language and repetition of messages. Other types of youth that would be appropriate for this program include individuals who have limited social awareness, are unsophisticated in their approach to relationships and social situations, or have extreme difficulty with attending to and retaining information.

The ASAP-PLUS program offers group, family and individual therapy sessions. This program expects consistent communication and participation with family and other support personnel to help support the family in developing safety planning and generalizing the skills introduced in the ASAP-PLUS.

ASAP-PLUS stresses the importance of a team approach to treatment. Family involvement is essential for youth to successfully meet treatment goals and develop an appropriate support network. Each youth must attend all sessions and participate in activities and discussions to successfully meet the requirements for this program.